HISTORY OF KANO

 * Bashorun Gaa: Oyo-Ile’s Unforgotten Tyrant And His End* The Old Oyo Empire was one of the strongest if not the strongest in the Yoruba mythology. Oyo-Ile as it was called then (not the modern day Oyo) has a lot of stories surrounding it, being the choosen place for many of the Yoruba gods and warriors, likewise kings and people of great reputation. This brings us to the story surrounding Bashorun Gaa and his reign as the Prime Minister of the Old Oyo Empire. Bashorun Gaa was an integral part of the Old Oyo Empire’s royal politics. No story of Oyo-Ile would be complete without a mention of his name. Bashorun Gaa was instrumental to the military conquests during his time as a Prime Minister of the Old Oyo Empire during the 17th/18th century. During the 17th century Oyo Kingdom, the monarchical failings came with a succession of uncharitable kings to the exalted throne. From Odarawu who was bad tempered, to Kanran, an unmitigated tyrant, then Jayin, the effeminate and dissolute, do...

  NATURE OF INDIGENOUS EDUCATION    Indigenous education represents the type of education offered in the pre-literate era, within the community, by community members who possessed specialised skills or abilities in various fields of human endeavour. In most communities, prior to the introduction of formal education, boys were brought up to take to whatever occupation their fathers engaged in. In some other cases, the boys were sent to other masters as apprentices to learn various vocations and life etiquette.    Although occupations varied accord ing to the geographical areas in Nigeria, the major ones were farming, trading, craft work, fishing, cat tle rearing, wine tapping, traditional medicine and black-smithing. The boys also engaged in such other training activities as archery, tree climbing and wrestling. Intellectual training for them consisted of their sitting quietly beside their fathers at meetings and listening attentively to learn the process of such...

 Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt Hon. FRCN (1915-1992) was between 1954 to the mid 70s the first non-expatriate Ward Sister and then Matron of the university College hospital in Ibadan, Chief Nursing officer at the Federal Ministry of health, the Lagos commissioner of health and the President of the National Council of Women’s Societies. She was the first black person to work for the NHS in Britain after studying nursing in Britain from 1946 to 1950. She was the founder of the School of Nursing at the University of Ibadan in 1965, also the Professional Association of Trained Nurses and the journal “Nigerian Nurses” She received numerous awards both in a Nigeria and Britain. - 

King of Benin, Oba Ovonramwen, taken on board the S. S. Ivy, a British Government vessel along the Bonny River in the year 1897.  Oba Ovunramwen of Benin seated in a wicker chair with three soldiers standing beside and behind him. The Oba is wearing a velvet gown, and his feet are shackled together with chains. The Soldiers wear uniforms; head-gear, short trousers, belts, jackets & holding bayonets. The soldiers at the left and centre are wearing medals.They are British trained members of the Niger Coast Protectorate force mostly of Yoruba and Hausa origin. After the British punitive expedition of 1897, the Oba was exiled and sent to Old Calabar head quarters of the Niger Coast Protectorate in a small town called "Essien Town". He died in Calabar around the turn of the new year in 1914.  Before reaching Old Calabar he was inside the "S. S. Ivy" vessel on the Bonny River and the opportunity for Nigerians first Photographer Jonathan A. Green was available to take ...

  Queen Amina Zaria Queen Amina (also known as Queen Aminatu), was the elder daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, the founder of the Zazzau Kingdom in 1536. Some scholars date Queen Amina's reign to about 1549, as heir apparent after the death of her mother. This medieval African kingdom was located in the region now known as the Kaduna State in the north-central region of Nigeria, capital at the modern city of Zaria. Zaria (aka Birnin Zaria) was named after Queen Amina's younger sister Zariya, and is where the Royal Palace of Zaria resided. The earliest commentator to mention Queen Amina is Muhammed Bello's history Ifaq al-Maysur, composed around 1836. Queen Amina is also mentioned in the Kano Chronicle, a well-regarded and detailed history of the city of Kano and the surrounding Hausa people. It was composed in the late 19th century and incorporated earlier oral histories before the Fulani jihad of 1804-1810. It included king-lists of the various Hausa kingdoms. Known as a gr...

ON THIS DAY 13 February 1976 Assassination of General Murtala Muhammad.           Murtala Muhammad was one of the greatest and most popular people in Nigeria. He was born in 1938, joined the military in 1958, and was a major figure during the Nigerian civil war. During the war, he commanded the second infantry division of the Nigerian Army which saw many action during the war. After the war, he was promoted to brigadier general in 1971. On 7 August 1974 he was appointed as the Minister of Communication by Yakubu Gowon.           On 29 July 1975, he lead the third coup attempt in Nigeria's history against Yakubu Gowon and was successful. The coup was different from other coup because it was bloodless. (He actually led the second coup and that one was the bloodiest coup in Nigeria history which started the Nigerian civil war).           His regime was as strict like most military regime and the present civilian rul...

  IDRIS ALOOMA 7  Idris ibn 'Ali (Alooma), or Idriss Alaoma, (r. 1570–1602/03 or 1580-1617)] was Mai (king) of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, located mainly in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. His name is more properly written Idris Alawma or Idris Alauma. An outstanding statesman, under his rule Kanem-Bornu touched the zenith of its power. Idris is remembered for his military skills, administrative reforms and Islamic piety. His feats are mainly known through his chronicler Ahmad bin Fartuwa. He succeeded queen Aissa Koli. His main adversaries were the Hausa to the west, the Tuareg and Toubou to the north, and the Bulala to the east. One epic poem extols his victories in 330 wars and more than 1,000 battles. His innovations included the employment of fixed military camps with walls, permanent sieges and scorched earth tactics where soldiers burned everything in their path, armored horses and riders as well as the use of Berber camelry, Kotoko boatmen, and iron-helmeted musketeers ...